Seaver Old Hand At Opening Days

April 07, 1986|By Ed Sherman.

Tradition still prevails on Opening Day--at least for the moment.

With plans for a new stadium in the works, Comiskey Park is only several years away from becoming a monument. Tom Seaver, who already has a monument on hold for him in Cooperstown, is nearing the end of his brilliant career.

But the future isn`t here yet. Comiskey Park and Seaver will be united Monday, along with an expected crowd of 40,000, when the Sox open against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Comiskey Park, the oldest stadium in baseball, will greet a new season for the 76th time. The ballpark hosted its first opener in 1911.

Seaver, who will face Milwaukee`s Teddy Higuera, has made starting on Opening Day an annual ritual. He will be making his 16th Opening Day start, adding to his record. Seaver started his first opener in 1968.

Seaver has made it clear that he wanted to be in a New York area code on this day, but the 304-game winner didn`t get his wish to be dealt to a team near his home in Connecticut. Trade talks still continue between the White Sox and New York Yankees, but for now, Seaver remains in Chicago.

``I like our chances when he`s out on the mound,`` LaRussa said. ``Tom has shown that he can get the job done on Opening Day.``

Ken Harrelson will be watching his first Opening Day as a chief executive, but he insists he won`t feel any different than if he were coming to the game as a broadcaster, which he was before being selected to run the team last fall.

``Opening Day is something special in the life of every ballplayer,``

Harrelson said. ``I`ll be excited, but I won`t be nervous. That`s not me. This job hasn`t changed me. It might be hard to believe, but the people who know me will believe it.``

Opening Day will unveil Harrelson`s new dimensions for Comiskey Park. In one of his first moves, Harrelson decided to push the plate back eight feet. Now it`ll take a shot of 347 feet (up from 341) to get the ball out down the lines, 382 feet in the power alleys (up from 374), and 409 feet in center (up from 402).

Harrelson said he thinks the move will benefit the Sox. They hit 146 home runs last year and gave up 161.

Harrelson wants to take homers away from the ``pop-guns.`` He has vivid memories of Boston`s Marty Barrett, who had only five homers last year, beating the Sox with a grand slam that barely made it into the stands.

``Our thumpers are strong,`` Harrelson said. ``It`s not going to affect them. When guys like Carlton Fisk, Harold Baines, Ron Kittle and Greg Walker zero in on the ball, it`s gone anyway. It also won`t stop the studs like Eddie Murray or Dave Winfield.

``Unless you`ve got the best pitching staff in baseball, I believe in a big ballpark. If you have a team that doesn`t give up homers, I`d put home plate at second base. If the pitcher makes a mistake, it`ll be an out now instead of falling in the first row of the bleachers. I like our club in this park.``

The new dimensions mean 38-year-old Fisk will have more ground to cover in left field. The transplanted catcher has shown that he`s adequate out there, even if he doesn`t like it.

Catcher Joel Skinner and center-fielder John Cangelosi will be making their first Opening Day starts. Skinner finally is getting his chance after spending three years at Triple A.

Cangelosi was the surprise of the spring, coming from nowhere to win the job over Daryl Boston and Rudy Law. Cangelosi knows he`ll have some rookie jitters.

``This is something I`ve always dreamed of doing,`` Cangelosi said.

``I`ll be excited and nervous. Hopefully, I`ll calm down after my first at-bat.``

If the 5-foot-8-inch Cangelosi gets on base in that at-bat, he`ll ignite Comiskey Park with his speed. He stole 18 bases this spring without being thrown out.

Cangelosi`s emergence gives Harrelson reason to feel optimistic about the season. In February, Harrelson said he was content with the club going into spring training, but he wouldn`t be satisfied with the same team coming out of it. He figured he would make a few trades. Instead, the changes came from within.

``Getting a guy like Cangelosi, who can hit leadoff, is almost like making a trade,`` Harrelson said. ``Julio Cruz also played his tail off (he hit .359 this spring). Those were two guys we really weren`t counting on coming into camp. They both have great speed and range.

``So in essence we are a new and better ballclub. We`ve filled some holes. We`re decent. We`ve got a chance.``